Marathon conducted by Shankara Rotary Library
The idea of setting up a library in a Bangalore in order to make children knowledge-oriented and not just information-oriented, was mooted by knowledge enthusiasts in the early 1990s. With the Blessings of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, this library took shape in the premises of the Peetham in Shankarapuram, Bangalore about two decades back. Run along with the association of Rotary Club of Bangalore, the Shankara Rotary Library has been providing children access to books apart from conducting various allied activities since 1995.
Sita Lakshmi Chinnappa who oversees the functioning of the Shankara Rotary library organized a marathon for children in June 2013. The marathon was organized with the intention of attracting more children to the excellent facility in the Shankara Rotary Library that has over 3000 books and an activity centre for children. The marathon took place on 30th June 2013. About 1500 children belonging to 150 different schools in Bangalore took part and ran the 1.5 km stretch from Lalbagh to the Sringeri Shankara Math, Shankarapuram. CEO & Administrator of the Peetham, Sri V R Gowrishankar participated in the event while eminent sportspersons, Ashwini Nachappa and Sunil Joshi flagged off the marathon. After reaching the Sringeri Shankara Math, a number of activities and shows were organized for the children. Painting to music, magic shows and an event called “people for animals” to improve awareness of environment and live in harmony with the flora and fauna of Nature, took place. Children also participated in a painting competition and a story telling event, based on themes by referring books in the library. Professional storytellers entertained the children with interesting stories. Members of M/s Himalaya Pharmaceuticals spoke about the importance of nutrition. The website of the Shankara Rotary library is http://www.shankarachildrenslibrary.org and the library can be reached at 91-98452 39086 (Ms. Pushpa).
Photos taken during the event are given below.